


What am I Going to Do With You, Arthur Morgan?

by Hyoo



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Also Arthur is such a good uncle /or dad ;)/ I could cry, Arthur is a gentleman but he's too hard headed to accept it, F/M, Fluff(?), Grab your popcorn partners cause this is a 13 chapter slow burn, High Honor Arthur Morgan, It aint mature or anything more like light hearted but kinda steamy(?) teasing, It gets pretty saucy believe me, Lots of smirking and winking, Low Honor John Marston, OH ALSO some pretty wholesome Arthur and Sally interactions, One chapter has a little angst, Pretty wholesome if I do say so myself, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Soft Arthur and Abigail, Some parts are real sad though, mostly lighthearted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 08:47:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,822
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30036084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyoo/pseuds/Hyoo
Summary: "I had a bad dream."Arthur's brow raises. "What?""You asked me why I was up so early. I had a bad dream... about a conversation me and John had before blackwater happened."He clears his throat not really knowing what to say."I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up.""No, Issokay. You don't need to say sorry." He nods. "You can talk to me anytime, Abigail."
Relationships: Abigail Roberts Marston & Hosea Matthews, Abigail Roberts Marston/Arthur Morgan, Jack Marston & Arthur Morgan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

"You're setting a fine example Mr Morgan", Grimshaw says to the man lifting two sacks of who knows what.

He nods at the remark and lays it on the ground. He walks across the camp and lifts two pales of water taking it slow and watching every step he takes making sure not a single drop spills out. That is until Jack breezes past him.

"Shit." The pale wasn't empty, but he did spill quite a bit.

Abigail inhales sharply and the worry lines show. "Oh I'm sorry Arthur!"

He chuckles and looks at the boy's mother. "Issokay, it's just water. I'm sure the boy didn't mean nothin by it."

He makes his way to the barrel and pours in what's left of it. Now, what's next?

Abigail stares at the man, worry still apparent.

"You okay Abigail?" Tilly asks sweetly.

"Yeah... um", she looks to Tilly, "do you notice something different about Arthur?"

"Different? How so?"

"I don't know. I just... when I look at him something feels different." Abigail looks back at Arthur who is now chopping wood with too much enthusiasm for his own good.

"Something feels different when you look at him huh?" Tilly bumps Abigail's shoulder and wiggles her eyebrows up and down.

"Tilly!" She bumps back a bit harder, but out of good nature. They giggle. Abigail shakes her head. "You really don't notice anything?"

"No, I'm sorry. You want me to ask him about it?"

"No, it's okay. Thank you for the offer."

Tilly makes her way to Grimshaw who's watching them like a vulture, ready to tell them off for neglecting their duties in favor of gossip.

"Miss Jackson! Those carrots won't cut themselves now won't they?"

Abigail forces herself to stop staring and find her son. It doesn't take much effort on her part cause she sees the boy in Dutch's tent with the two fathers of the gang.

"Ah there you are Abigail. Little Jack here was hiding from you. Thinks you're mad at him for making Arthur spill water." The tent's owner explains.

"I'm sorry mama. I didn't mean for uncle Arthur to spill his water."

"Oh Jack, it's okay, but I'm not the one you should be apologizing to. Come on let's say sorry to your uncle."

The boy jumps out of Hosea's arms and holds his mama's hand. They make their way to the man in question, still chopping wood for the fire. Abigail nudges Jack forward and gives him a reassuring smile.

"I'm sorry I made you spill your water uncle Arthur", Jack says with puppy dog eyes.

"Aw issokay Jack. I know you didn't mean it." He takes another log on the stack and places it on top of the stump. "Go on now. Don't need to say any more sorrys." Jack runs off again, this time nearly making a drunk Uncle fall over.

Abigail sticks around and continues that staring session she was having a while ago. Arthur notices it and easily becomes self conscious. He heaves the axe back and hits the log dead center and straight on through.

"Ehem, Miss Roberts." He nods in her direction and she's pulled back from her trance. Her cheeks go rosy as she quickly diverts her gaze. "Sorry, I- I didn't mean to stare. I just-"

Her eyes drift back and she stares yet again with her brows furrowed and arms crossed.

"Am I chopping the wood wrong or..." Arthur sets the axe down and places his hand on his belt.

"No! No, not at all. I'm sorry Arthur I don't know what's gotten into me. I just feel like something's wrong with you."

Wow, that did not come out the way she wanted it to.

The corners of his mouth tilt down, and his expression becomes downcast, but he tries his best to cover it up. "I'm sorry, Abigail-"

"No! Oh god that's not what I meant at all!" She gets closer and lays a hand on his arm. "I'm so sorry Arthur. Nothing's wrong with you. I just feel like something's different about you that's all."

He felt a bit better knowing she didn't mean what she said in that way, but he'd be lying if he said he wasn't worried about this "different" thing Abigail was saying.

"Well, is it bad?"

"I don't know... I think It's bad, but I don't think it's you're fault that it's bad."

Arthur's brows knit together, eyes squint, and mouth forms a small pout. "What?"

"Oh nevermind. I'm sorry, Arthur. Forget I said anything. I'm probably worrying about nothing."

"Uhh, okay?"

Abigail walks back to her tent still clearly thinking about what's changed about the man.

"Hmm..." He wonders about himself quietly as he chops another piece from the pile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for the ride of your life partner! This is a 13 chapter bonanza so hold tight.
> 
> I'd really appreciate your critisicm so don't hesitate to call me out in the comments for whatever reason. I personally think I'm way better at oneshots so yeah, call me out for bad writing!


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a day since Abigail noticed something wrong with Arthur, and she still can't place her finger on it. It's embarassing to admit, but she's been staring at the man non-stop since. It's a wonder John hasn't called her out for it. Then again, it's not like he gives a damn about what she does.

It's early in the morning, and Arthur has just finished trimming his beard. He opens up the trunk and fishes for his collar overshirt. He unbuttons his shirt and is about to take it off when he remembers something. Abigail has been staring at him since the other day. He discreetly tilts his head and sees her sitting on a box by her tent, cheek resting on one hand and just staring at him.

Well, it's not like he can do anything about it now.

He takes his shirt off and throws it on the foot of the cot. He peeks once again and sees that Abigail is still at it. An innocent cup of water sits on the table and a light bulb flickers above his head.

Maybe this'll get her to stop staring.

He faces her direction and drinks the water, allowing it to spill over the front of his body. He sets the cup down and starts undoing his belt slowly... too slowly. As this all unfolds he looks Abigial straight in the eyes with a dangerous air about him and gives her a wink.

Abigail just about realizes what's going on and turns 10 shades red in .50 seconds flat. She does a half sprint to pearson's wagon and steals the knife from him. "I got it Mr Pearson! I'm not doing anything any way. Hahaha!" She laughs awkwardly, avoiding eye contact.

"Never seen anyone so enthusiastic to cut potatoes before. Well, I'm not complaining. Thank you Ms Roberts, there's another sack that needs cutting over there. Start on them once you're done with that one."

She looks beside her and instantly regrets the diversion she's chosen. There were 30 or more potatoes in the sack, and only one of her. She huffs and looks back at the reason for all this with a cute angry face, the same one you'd often see from a child throwing tantrums.

Arthur's got his shirt on now, about half way buttoned up. It's worth noting that the man is laughing like a maniac in broad daylight. He tucks his shirt in his pants and puts on his suspenders and a hat then makes it straight for Abigail.

"Miss Roberts." He tips his hat and gives her a wink.

"Shut up Arthur Morgan", she says, her cheeks starting to flush red again.

"Aw, I was just playin with ya", he remarks scratching the back of his neck with his gaze down. "Did you figure it out?"

"Hm? Figure what out?" She asks while grabbing another potato.

"Well, you told me something was different bout me. Ain't that why you were starin?"

She looks at him and takes it all in. She felt like she was getting closer to the truth. It was apparent on his face she knew that much, but she just doesn't know what that apparent thing is for the life of her.

Then his stomach rumbles... loudly.

He gives a sheepish smile and a forced chuckle. "I should get going. Gonna eat somethin from the general store in Rhodes. Do you and the boy need anything? I can get it for you."

"Um, yeah just a bread roll. Jack's been craving for it."

"O'right, I'll leave you to your potatoes then."

"Ha ha Morgan. Real funny." She scoffs and laughs at the same time, if that's even possible.

Arthur gets on Darling and rides into town. "So jack likes bread rolls huh? Got it from his uncle Arthur, that's for sure."

He grabs a few carrots and three bread rolls then pays the sassy man at the counter. "Everything's for sale except the floorboards. You sure that's all you want?"

He eyes the can of baked beans but tears his gaze off them. "Yeah that's all."

-

Back at camp Abigail has finally realized what's wrong. Arthur is thinner than usual. Not too crazy underweight, but it is concerning knowing he's the only man around camp who does the chores. Hell, he's the only reason the gang hasn't gone bankrupt. Micah talks a big game, but she's seen the ledger. Man has never placed more than 25 dollars, while Arthur is out here putting in 200 dollars at a time.

"Mr Pearson, I'll come back to finish the potatoes later. Just need to talk to Hosea."

"Sure, Ms Roberts."

She wipes her hands on her skirt and walks to her favorite surrogate father. Hosea is reading by the lake side seated on a log.

"Hosea... can I talk to you about something?"

He pats the space beside him with a smile.

She sits down and Hosea shifts his weight to look at the girl.

"Why dear? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, Jack and I are doing fine. I actually wanted to talk about Arthur. I think he's looking thin."

"Hmm now that you mention it. His cheeks do have a bit less puff to them than usual."

"What can we do about it? I'm worried. He's always working, lifting things. What if he's not eating right?"

Hosea let's out a hearty laugh and wipes a tear from his eye. "Abigail, Arthur is a grown man. You're talking about him like he's a little boy."

"But..."

He looks thoughtfully at her and decides on his next words. "Why don't you talk to him about it? I'm sure he'll hear you out when he sees how concerned you are."

"You really think so?"

"Of course! This is Arthur we're talking about. You know he has a soft spot for you and Jack."

Abigail's face scrunches up. She looks at Hosea with her mouth agape. "He has a soft spot for me and Jack?"

Hosea curses himself internally and tries to brush off what he said. "Well you know Arthur... uh... always the gentleman, concerned for mothers and their children."

She nods slowly and takes note of that. Maybe she can use that to her advantage.


	3. Chapter 3

After a long day of hunting and doing odd jobs, Arthur arrives back at camp with sore shoulders and a growling stomach. He hasn't eaten anything since he left camp, except for some herbs he comes across by the road. He justifies his eating less with 'Darling needs the food more than I do' and 'Jack and Abigail need the money more than I do'. He grabs the last carrot he bought from earlier and feeds it to Darling. "Thas a good girl." He heaves the animal off his horse and walks to Pearson.

"Ah, Mr Morgan that's a fine buck you got there. Looks like we're eating good tomorrow."

He drops the load onto the table, rolls his shoulders , and stretches his neck. "That stew better be good. Took me a whole day to find a healthy buck. Cougar got me too while I was skinning it."

"We appreciate your hard work Mr Morgan."

Arthur walks around looking for Jack and sees him by the lakeside with Tilly.

"Hey Jack, you're mama told me to get you these." He hands the three bread rolls carefully wrapped in cloth.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you Arthur", Tilly comments.

The boy stands giddy and hugs his legs. "Thank you uncle Arthur!"

He ruffles Jack's hair and hears a familiar voice behind him.

"Thank you, Arthur."

He turns around and sees Abigail with two bowls of stew. One for her and one for Arthur.

"Thank you, Abigail", he says with a smile. He takes it from her and murmurs, "you didn't have to".

"Oh nonsense, I know you're hungry and tired. It's the least I could do."

Tilly stands up and looks at them with a goofy grin. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. Wouldn't wanna ruin the moment."

Abigail stares daggers at the girl while Tilly giggles and leaves.

"Ruin the moment?" Arthur wonders out loud. He seems to do that a lot. They stand quietly for a few seconds.

Jack breaks the awkward silence. "Mama, can we eat now?"

"Sure Jack come on." They start to make their way to the same log she sat on with Hosea.

"I won't bother you two then." Arthur almost walks away, but a hand lands on his forearm.

"Why don't you eat with us?"

"Yeah uncle Arthur! We can eat the bread rolls you gave me."

He nods quietly and they sit on the nearby log.

"You know, I like bread rolls too Jack. Used to be the only thing I'd eat on the road."

Abigail notices the past tense used in his statment and is intrigued by it. "Used to? Why'd you stop eating em?"

Shit. He thinks to himself. "Oh no reason. Just... stopped buying them, I guess." He takes a scoop of stew into his mouth.

She nudges her son and tilts her head slightly to Arthur's direction in hopes that he'll get the message. Jack, being a bright boy, understands it as clear as day.

"Here you go uncle Arthur." The boy places a bread roll in the cloth he recieved them in then places it in his uncle's hand.

"No issokay jack. I bought em for you."

And just like that it all clicks in Abigail's head. 'You've got a soft spot for me and my boy. You don't buy bread rolls for yourself, but you'd buy them in a heartbeat for Jack... We're the reason why you're going hungry!'

She shakes her head and scoffs, not at Arthur, but at herself for not noticing earlier.

"Is everything okay?" The man next to her asks, worried he's done something wrong.

Her mouth smiles but there's a sadness in her eyes. 'Oh what am I going to do with you Arthur Morgan?'

She takes the wrapped bread roll from her baby's hands and places it into Arthur's. "Take it. Please Arthur, for me."

He's never felt this before. Sure, he's felt the butterflies with Mary, and the passion with Eliza, but never this. He feels warm, like a spring day in a field of lavender. He feels calm. His heart isn't racing like it usually does when he falls in love, or at least makes love. He's at peace, and it's been a long goddamn time since he's last felt that.

"Okay, Agibail", was all his brain allowed him to say.

She smiles, this time a real smile, one that reaches her eyes.

"Take care of yourself Arthur. Jack looks up to you, a lot. If he finds out his uncle ain't been eating, well he might stop eating too." She felt guilty for using the boy. She felt guilty for manipulating Arthur like this, but if this is the only way to get him back in shape then she won't hesitate one bit.

He unknowingly nods along to her every word, not really knowing what to say or how to feel. Abigail's hands are still holding onto his, and her eyes looking so very deeply into his soul. She says more things, but he can't seem to focus on her voice... until he hears the magic word that brings him back everytime.

"...please."

"Okay, Abigail."

She lets go of his hand and replaces it with Jack's. The pair walk to their tent and Arthur is left alone.

"Okay, Abigail", he whispers to no one.


	4. Chapter 4

Abigail thought long and hard about every single time Arthur brought home food for Jack or money for her. She's still mad at herself for not seeing it earlier... way earlier.

It turns out this has been going on for quite some time now. Out of all the people she should have know. Arthur's been supporting them sice way back, like in that year John abandoned them. He stood as her son's father even though Jack wasn't his.

"You're so stupid Abigail", she says out loud.

"Mama, you're not stupid." The boy pouts at his mama's remark.

Her heart softens. "Oh I'm sorry Jack. Mama's just thinking out loud. Let's go to sleep."

-

A few days later Abigail wakes up invigorated with a newfound determination to give Arthur what he deserves.

"Hey ladies, ready to make some money?"

Karen wakes up, shielding her eyes from the sun. "What time is it? Have you lost your head or something?"

"Lost my head? Have you gone soft Karen? I thought screwing over the rich was your specialty."

Karen's ears perk up at the words "screwing over the rich". "Well, well, well what's gotten into Ms Roberts? I'm listening."

"I was thinking of running a few scams in Saint Denis. I heard Javier the other day talking about some circus coming into town. Sounds like a good opportunity for us to make money."

Tilly sits up from her slumber to butt into the conversation. "Sounds good to me!"

"Mary beth you comin?" Karen questions the sleeping beauty.

"Sure!" In an instant she's up and changing clothes.

Karen gets dressed in her most lavish, and revealing, outfit while the other two do the same.

"And just where do you think you're going?" Ms Grimshaw asks with a bit more venom than usual.

"We are going to make money. You've got a problem with that Ms Grimshaw?" Tilly retorts.

"If you truly are going out to make money you better put some into the gang's pocket when you women get back or so help me god you won't be able to leave this camp again." She leaves stomping and the women cackle.

A little later Abigail returns to her posse and is greeted with Oohs and ahhs.

"Abigail Roberts! You look like a woman who's never been through labor." Karen hollers loud enough for people to look their way.

"Karen!" Abigail feels that familiar warmth on her cheeks. The color of her face nearly the same as the wine red dress she was wearing.

"It's true! Sake's alive Abigail. What're you doing with a man like Marston when you could marry into royalty lookin like that."

"Karen", Tilly warns her sterny with a single word.

"Hell, I could get down on one knee right now if you'd have me."

"Karen!" Mary beth slaps her arm giggling.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop before y'all throw me outta camp."

"Thank you for the proposal Ms Jones, I didn't think I'd live to see the day!"

They burst out like hyenas and cause a ruckus too early in the day.

"Shut up!" Micah snaps as he walks past the women.

They stare at him with disdain.

"Just when you think men can't get any more disappointing." Tilly shakes her head.

"Come on girls! Rich men don't have all day." Karen leads them to the horses, but Abigail lags behind.

"I'll follow, just let me talk to someome." She peeks in their tent and sees her baby boy fast asleep. Her eyes scan the surroundings for the man she's looking for and spots him by the unlit campfire.

"Hosea, could I maybe... ask you for a favor?"

Hosea looks up at her and his heart melts. "You look beautiful my dear. Going out into town?"

"Yeah." She always liked it when he called her beautiful. She knew in her heart that there was no malice, or ulterior motive connected to the word when Hosea was the one saying it. "I was wondering if-"

"No need to ask. I can take care of Jack. I have a few books he hasn't read yet."

"Oh thank you so much Hosea!" She reaches down to hug him and makes her way to the other women.

She gets up on her horse and exclaims, "let's get rich!"

They arrive at Saint Denis and the city is bustling. Well, it's always bustling, but today was even wilder. People from all over the country and even from other countries line the streets. There are women looking like queens and Men looking like kings. They ride up to a hotel and hitch their horses.

"What's the plan Abigail?"

"With an event like this I'd like to think lots of men are day drinking. What do you think?"

"Why don't we start here at the hotel? If we don't find luck we can always move." Mary beth dusts off her petticoat as she looks into the hotel lobby.

"Sounds good to me."

They enter the hotel looking mighty refined and split up. Mary beth approaches the lone man by the reception and instantly makes a connection. Karen eyes an older man who seems to be waiting for something. Tilly starts acting like she has a broken ankle to hog the people's attention, and Abigail stands there a bit hesitant.

The last time she ran a scam was before Jack was born. Maybe she should have thought this through.

"Excuse me madam, do you need any help? Please do not take this as an offense, but you seem to be lost."

She turns around and is faced with a tall man with a very prominent mustache. "Why yes! I must look a fool standing here alone. I'm glad a man like you has come to help a woman like me."

"Well a woman like you is hard to come by" the man leans closer with a grin. "Are you here for a room my lady?"

"Truth be told, I'm not sure whether or not I will be staying the night. I just visited Saint Denis for the circus."

"Ah, I also came for the circus! If you don't mind me asking, would it be alright for me to accompany you the shows?"

You, Abigail Roberts, have hit the jackpot. "I'm afraid I have to know your name first", she says tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

"Douglas, Sloan Douglas." He removes one glove and offers his hand.

She gives hers and he kisses it, lingering too long for Abigail's liking.

"And yours?"

"Agatha Milton", she replies forcing a smile.

"What a beautiful name, and a more beautiful woman."

Oh brother.


	5. Chapter 5

Sloan accompanies Abigail to their room and her jaw nearly drops from the sheer beauty of it all. It wasn't her first time being in a hotel similar to this one, but by god was it still a different experience.

Everything is so clean. The drawn curtains are white. The bed sheets are white. The carpet is a gorgeous deep blue color that Abigail could drown in at any moment.

"My lady, I must attend to one of my businesses before the show. Would that be alright with you?"

"Why of course. Who am I to stop you from such a thing?"

He leaves her to her own devices and she jumps straight for the bed. "Oh I never thought I'd live to feel a bed like this."

She removes her shoes and allows herself to sink deeper into the matress. "This must be what heaven feels like." She lays her head on one of the pillows and is absolutely awestruck by how soft it is.

"Maybe Karen was right. Maybe I should take Jack with me and marry myself off to a rich fella like Sloan Douglas, or whatever his name is. It's not like John gives a damn."

She faces the window side, and her train of thought is interrupted.

She goes silent.

"But Arthur does..."

She rolls on her stomach and burys her face, groaning into the marshmallow expanse.

"What will I do with you Arthur Morgan?"

She gets off of the bed and starts looking around for things to lift. She opens up Sloan's luggage and is met with a pouch of jewellry and many pocket watches. She knicks it and slides it in her bag. She returns everything to their previous untouched state and leaves the hotel.

-

"Miss Roberts", Mery beth links her arm with Abigail's. "How has your day been?"

They walk down a smaller loud and crowded street near a market.

"I'd say we're getting off to a great start." She opens her bag slightly to show off the things she's lifted already.

"Wow, you weren't lying when you said you're a good thief. What does the expert have to say about this?" Mary beth opens her bag and shows a few neatly arranged money clips.

"I think, you're out to take my spot as the theft expert."

They giggle and and go up the steps to the market.

A few bumps, and "sorrys" later, and they already have triple the money they showed off to one another.

"Let's go down here", Mary beth pulls the other woman away from the main market to an innocent looking door. "This is the fence Arthur told me about. He says this guy'll buy anything."

They walk in and smell an array of things; gun powder, perfume, and cured leather are only some of them.

"Planning on joining the circus in town?" They hear the shop owner ask.

"Oh it's for the circus alright, but not for me." The women look at each other knowing that voice all too well. "I'm buying this for the animal wrangler."

"Ah the first bravest female animal wrangler, Margaret?"

Mary beth and Abigail peek through the shelves and see Arthur holding a lasso and a whip.

He chuckles. "No, I'm giving it to the second bravest female animal wrangler, Sally Nash."

"Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard of her before."

"Oh you will, and she'll be even better than Margaret." Arthur reaches in his satchel and places a few bills on the table. "Well, I better get going. Wouldn't wanna miss her."

Abigail yanks Mary beth out of the store and they hide behind a post.

"What are you do-" Abigail covers her mouth and Arthur walks out of the store oblivious to the two of them.

"What was that about?"

"Arthur was in the store."

"I just told you that Arthur was the one who told me about this place."

Abigail can't find a response for that one.

"Abigail Roberts, are you hiding something?"

"Of course not! I just... didn't want him to see me out here that's all. He might tell me off for leaving Jack alone at camp." Blatant lie, but it's a good enough excuse.

"Uhuh... sure."

"Oh shut up! Let's just get rid of these already."

They enter the fence and greet the shop owner a good afternoon.

"Ah ladies, what can I do for you today?"

They lay down the things they've lifted so far and the owner looks well pleased. "I can see you're the hardworking type." He grabs a box and gathers the goods into it. The register dings and they get paid handsomely.

"62 dollars for you madam, and 84 for you", he directs the latter to Abigail.

"Guess you get to keep the title then", Mary beth elbows her, but Abigail is too preoccupied to notice.

"That man who was just here, does he talk about that Sally Nash a lot?"

Mary beth's expression turns mischievious at her friend's inquiry.

"I'm afraid I cannot reveal such information madam."

Her expressions turns sour. "Oh alright then, thank you I guess."

They leave the shop and Mary beth can't help teasing. "So... you and Arthur."

"What? No! Of course not! I'm not sweet on Arthur! There's nothing going on between us!"

Mary beth can't hold it in and roars with laughter. "Calm down Abigail. Your secret's safe with me." She gives the worried woman a reassuring smile and a pat on the arm.

"There is no secret!"

"I've read about this before you know. The female protagonist falls for a man and realizes he's not the man she should be with, then she realizes the man for her was right in front of her the whole time, but she was just too blind to see it."

She swallows a lump in her throat and Mary beth's words leave her mouth agape.

"Mhmm, and now I'm the female protagonist's friend who makes her realize she should go for the right man and not that man she was with before."

"..."

Mery beth lifts Abigail's chin up to close her mouth and links their arms together. "Come on now, let's look for your man before that Sally convinces him to run away with her and join the circus."


	6. Chapter 6

The two women arrive in front of a huge tent just outside of Saint Denis and see the other two women they came into town with.

"So y'all get enough money for the show tonight?" Tilly asks them as they approach.

"With enough to spare", the blonde one replies.

"Oh no!"

The three look at Abigail confused.

"Sloan! I have to go!"

She runs as fast as she can to the hotel they first entered and arrives just in time to see Sloan sitting in the lobby with his eyes on the clock.

He sees her and stands with a smile. "My lady", he removes his hat and reaches for Abigail's hand.

"Oh I'm so sorry Mister Douglas. I met with a few friends while you were away. I hope I didn't make you wait for too long."

"Oh nonsense, I would wait forever and a day for you Miss Milton."

God, this guy work at a deli? Cause he is one cheezy bastard.

He offers her his arm and they make their way to the show.

She instantly spots her ladies to the right side and in the front row. She's pretty sure Karen was the one who insisted on being that close to the action.

Her and Sloan sit close to them, probably just 3 people away, which allows the women to see her.

They mouth some vulgar words directed at the man whilst having very odd expressions on their faces and she stiffles a laugh. Her eyes scan the audience and sees a man she can't take her eyes off of.

-

Arthur looks expectantly at the curtains. He knows the show is a lie, but Margaret gave him a free ticket in addition to the gem so he decided to give it a go.

Despite knowing that the female animal wrangler who was going to come out of that curtain was Margaret, a man, a big part of him was hoping to see Sally at least be a part of the show.

He feels bad for her, more than he would care to admit. She's a sweet kid with hopeful eyes and big dreams. He never sees people like that anymore and he just wants her to continue that dream no matter how against her the odds are.

The lights go out, and the audience goes silent. "Ladies and gentlemen, what you are about to see tonight is all real, and extremely dangerous."

Arthur shakes his head and scoffs.

"Do not attempt to do the acts that will be presented here today, or else..."

A spotlight points to the curtains and a clean shaven Margaret walks out dramatically. He- She takes a bow for each side of the audience then a circle of fire around the arena and just a few feet away from the first row is lit. The crowd cheers and hollers. A mule painted as a zebra is pushed through the fire and Margaret gets to work.

She cracks her whip in the air to shock the animal. The mule goes wild. It jumps about nearly getting burned by the fire and makes distressed sounds. Margaret cracks the whip again and starts cornering it into the cage and just like that the first act is done. Men come onto the arena and replace the cage with a bigger one all the while, the crowd continues to cheer.

"The zebra is but a gentle creature. To truly test her bravery, we should let her tame a beast!" The crowd agrees with the announcer and chants Margaret's name.

A roar resounds in the tent. Sounds of frantic men escape from behind the curtain and without announcement the so called tiger jumps onto the arena. The crowd eats it all up.

It circles Margaret with a hungry look in its eyes. Beads of sweat line the animal wrangler's brows as her hand grips the whip tightly. This was going all too fast. The announcer was supposed to say more introduction and the cougar was supposed to be drugged. That look in its eyes suggests otherwise.

It pounces on her and she barely makes an escape. The crowd lets out a collective gasp. Margaret cracks the whip on the ground, but it does nothing to the animal. It bares its teeth and makes another attempt. This time it grazes Margaret's arm and she lets out a cry. The crowd gasps once again.

Arthur doesn't know a single thing about what's actually supposed to happen, but he's sure as hell that isn't part of the plan.

The tiger takes advantage of the injured wrangler and jumps on top of her. The crowd breaks into a panic. Some of the audience makes a run for it, while some are absolutely mesmerised by the sight.

"Help! Help!"

Arthur springs into action and jumps through the fire to get in the arena. Sally appears from behind the curtains and does the same. They look at each other nervous about the situation. Arthur remembers what he came here for and throws the lasso and whip he bought to Sally. She catches it and whips the animal.

It looks at Sally and slowly approaches her. She looks it in the eyes with a fire as bright as the one burning around them. She whips it again, this time in the face. It seems to have hit the animal's eyes.

"Mr Morgan!" Sally throws a box of tranquilizer rounds at Arthur. He catches it, empties out the ammo in his pistol, reloads swiftly without missing a beat, and lines up the shot.

It frantically jumps to Sally, but she's quicker.

"Keep her steady!" Arthur orders the girl.

She whips it and rolls out of the way. The cougar jumps again, but is slightly burned.

She takes the chance to lasso it and mounts it like a horse.

"Now!"

Arthur shoots three consecutive rounds into its head, and the animal drops down defeated. The same goes for Sally.

What remains of the crowd erupts into chaotic yelling and oohs and ahhs.

Arthur walks to first bravest female animal wranger, the real one, and offers his hand. She takes it and is pulled up effortlessly.

"Mr Morgan!" She jumps and hugs the man. Arthur is surprised, but hugs her back after the tiring affair.

"I'm glad you're alive Ms Nash."

They let go and laugh.

"I'm glad you're alive too Mr Morgan... Oh and here." She hands back the lasso and the whip.

"Nah, I- I actually bought em for you." He rubs the back of his neck.

"Really? Aw thank you so much Mr Morgan! I'll treasure these forever." She holds them close to her heart and smiles like a little kid.

"You!"

Arthur turns around is kissed on the lips by none other than Margaret. He pushes the man dressed as a woman away and tries to cough the kiss out of his system. "Please don't do that again."

"You saved my life! How may I repay you?"

"I didn't do nothin, Sally was the one who saved ya!"

"Sally Nash?!" He pulls his assistant into a hug and wipes the tears from his eyes. "Drinks are on me!"


	7. Chapter 7

"That was a spectacular show! Don't you think Miss Milton?"

She puts on a smile, but her stomach doesn't feel too good. "Yes, but um... a bit too dangerous for my taste."

'That dumb idiot! He could have gotten himself killed! And for what? A stupid girl he likes? God!'

"Oh is that so? Perhaps dinner will lighten your mood then my lady. That is of course, if you would allow me to take you."

"I'm sorry, Mister Douglas. I've already made dinner plans with my friends from earlier."

"Ah, perhaps a hug farewell then?"

She agrees to it and picks both of his pockets. He hands her his card and walks away, looking to pick up a lady of the night.

"Miss Roberts, found a man to replace Arthur already?"

Tilly back at it again with the teasing.

"More like, found an idiot to scam with my irresistable charm." She raises both hands and shows off thick clips of money.

They holler at her savageness and simultaneously shout, "drinks on Abigail!"

They make their way to a nearby establishment and find a table to sit at. Fate must be playing with them because they spot Arthur with the wranglers from the show just across the bar.

-

"Would you look at that! It's those ones from the show a while ago!" A random man shouts.

It causes the customers to look to their direction and cheer. "Put all der drinks on mah tab, a good show like that deserves some rum!"

The band starts playing lively music and Arthur laughs at the sight of drunk strangers cheering them on. "Guess almost dying ain't such a bad thing after all."

They sit down and order three bottles of aged pirate rum.

"I'll admit, I've never drank before Mr Morgan."

"And I'll admit, I drink too much Ms Nash." No alcohol in their systems yet, but they're already howling over the slightest things. It must be the adrenaline of nearly dying taking over.

"Now now my friends, don't you think after a brush with death like that it is time to drop the Misters and Misses?"

The waiter hands them their bottles and they cheers to that.

-

"Did you see the way Arthur just jumped over the fire like that? He's not usually my type, but sake's alive he's got me feeling SOMETHING." Karen takes a swig of beer.

"He was just like a knight, rushing in to save the princess."

"Mhmm, THAT is a man", Tilly agrees.

"Why are y'all praisin him for what he'd done? He could have gotten himself killed! Then what? We wouldn't be here drinkin! We'd be crying over his dead body!"

The three women look at each other and cackle outrageously.

"Abigial, you need to relax! He's here ain't he? He's alive, and you don't need to worry about anything." Tilly holds her hand on the table. "Besides, all this worrying is making it more and more apparent that you ARE sweet on him."

The women at the table squeal at the thought of their Abigail finally moving on from John onto a man who'll love her right.

"Why do y'all keep sayin that? I told ya I ain't sweet on nobody."

"Ha! So the cat is out of the bag! You don't like John no more." Karen downs the beer and signs to the waitress for another one.

"I never said that!"

"You just said 'I ain't sweet on nobody'", Tilly mimics her voice for added effect.

"What I-"

"Oh I've read about this! You're in the stage of denial. That's where you say you don't like anybody, when the truth is you're totally in love with somebody."

Great, Mary beth is at it again with the literary and real life comparisons.

"I never should have agreed to drink with y'all", she makes like Karen and downs the bottle in one go.

"What are you so afraid of Abigail? You know John won't step up to be Jack's father. He won't even step up to be your husband! You deserve a man who'll love you for who you are Abigail." Mary beth lectures her with so much warmth.

"Arthur and John, they're my brothers. I love those two idiots with all my heart, but even then, John ain't it. Arthur's always been the kinder, gentler, and more loving of the two, and after everything you've been through, he's exactly what you need."

Abigail takes Tilly's concerns to heart and thinks hard on it. She drinks another bottle through and looks at the table Arthur is seated at.

-

"Why are you so kind to me Mr Mo... Arthur?" Sally asks a little bit more than tipsy.

"She's barely halfway through the rum and she's already drunk!" Margaret comments, even more drunk.

"Heh, you reminded me of me when I was younger. I had big dreams, wanted a better life. Thought I could take the world on with my bare hands." Ha was on his second bottle, but he was doing far better than these two. "I guess, I just don't wanna see you end up like me, angry at the world for dealing me a lousy hand. Angry at people for being... well, people."

Sally looks at him, tears forms in her eyes. "I'm sorry Mr Arthur", she gets up and stumbles on him for a hug.

Arthur doesn't know if its the alcohol talking or if she actually understood what he was saying, but it did make him feel warm. He holds back the tears and wraps an arm around her. "You better keep your promise to me. Next time the circus comes around you better be top bill."

"I... promise Mist... Arthur", she slurs between sobs.

"Don't you ever let me down Sally Nash."

-

"What the hell is that bitch doing on my man!" Abigail gets up and the women hold her back.

"Abigail, You're drunk! Now is not the time to tell him how you feel! Belive me I've been there before." Karen pushes her down into the chair while Tilly and Mary beth restrain her arms.

"I thought you told me Arthur was the man for me? Why are you stopping me from defending my man from a circus freak?!"

"Maybe we should have waited 'till tomorrow to encourage her like this."

"Ya think Mary beth?" Tilly stares wide eyed.

"Ain't no way in hell we're bringing Abigail back to camp like this."

"Let's rent her a room", Tilly suggest.

"Leave it to me." Mary beth gets up and asks the bar tender about their accomodations.

She comes back after some time with a key in hand and they drag Abigail up the stairs.

"Come on now Sally", the girls hear Arthur's soft and sluggish voice from the stairs.

They take a peek and see the blonde wrangler's hand reaching over Arthur's shoulder and Arthur's hand on her waist as they walk into a room.

"What're we looking at?" Abigal peeks over them and just about screams "bitch" when the others stuff a handkerchief into her mouth.

"That was a close call."

When the door closes they make a run for their room.

-

"Thank you, Mr Arthur."

He lays the girl down on the bed and looks at the mess of a man, Margaret, on the carpet fast asleep.

"I'll see you again Sally Nash. I'll see you again." He pats her knee and leaves a pack of biscuits by the bedside table.

What he sees when he gets out of the room is a sight to behold.

"Ladies." He tips his hat more clumsily than usual.

The women freeze. Tilly and Mery beth have Abigail's legs while Karen has the arms. All the while Abigail is unconscious with that handkerchief still in her mouth.

"You need some help with that?"


	8. Chapter 8

Arthur carries the drunkard over one shoulder and sets her down on the bed. He pulls the handkerchief out of her mouth and faces the culprits.

"I may have had a few bottles too many, but I know a kidnappin when I see it." He barely gets through the sentence, but the girls understand him all the same.

"Oh don't be ridiculous Arthur, we didn't kidnap Abigail. We went out to lift some money, then we saw your show, then we went out to drink, and here we are now." Tilly explains trying to sound innocent.

"If Abigail is here..." He racks his brain for words. "Who's taking care of Jack?"

"Awwww!" The women collectively coo at Arthur's fatherly concern shining through.

"Who's Aww?"

"What we meant to say was, Hosea is taking care of Jack."

"Good. I'll be renting a room too if ya need me." He stumbles to the door.

The triplets in crime look at one another and jump out of their seats to block it.

"Why don't you stay the night Arthur?" Mary beth offers, as sweet as honey.

Arthur wasn't one to blush from drinking so you just know this red glow was from something else.

"I..." Arthur would have had a hard time responding to such a situation as a sober man so the challenge was a hundred times harder drunk.

The girls look at each other nervously waiting for the next words to come out of his mouth.

He swallows hard. A thin layer of sweat lines his forehead and he says his next words carefully.

"I appreciate the offer ladies, but I'm not that kind of man."

"...not that kind of man?"

"I've never been with more than one woman at a time, and I don't-"

It clicks in their heads and they realize why Arthur is such a hot mess.

"We didn't mean it that way Morgan!" Karen exclaims holding back a laugh.

"We need someone to watch over Abigail, and the man at the bar said only two people can sleep in one room. One of us could stay with her, but we think it would be better for you to stay with her so that you don't have to rent a separate room."

Arthur exhales a heavy breath of relief then gathers them into a bear hug. His cheek lands on Tilly's head. "Thank god, I thought you was offerin somethin else." A yawn escapes his mouth and he's barely able to keep his eyes open.

Their hearts melt at his words. Had it been a different man, he'd probably have said yes to an offer like that in an instant.

"You're a good man Arthur Morgan." Karen pats his back.

"Mmmm..."

"Arthur?" They lift him off of them and see that he's half asleep.

They make a group effort to get him into bed. Mary beth moves Abigail to one side and the other two lay him down.

"Hold on a second." Tilly removes Arthur's belt and places it carefully on the bedside table.

"Wouldn't want him to shoot nobody in his sleep."

-

Abigail's eyes open blinded by the early morning sun. She closes them back up and shifts her weight to face the right side of the room. She opens her eyes again and sees the back of a man's head.

"Ahhh!" She jumps out of bed and slams into the wall.

"What?!" Arthur gets up like lightning and grabs the gun on the table.

They look at each other breathing heavily.

"...Arthur?"

He puts on his belt then holsters his pistol. "Abigail." He massages his forehead and sits down at the foot of the bed.

"Did you...did we..."

"Well, I'm still wearin my pants ain't I?"

"Oh thank god." Abigail sits beside him and stares at her feet. "Do you remember what happened last night?"

"No, and I don't want to."

"Good, cause I don't want to either."

"Let's just keep this between us, if that's alright with you." He gets up and walks to the door.

"Yes, please."

He holds the door open and Abigail walks out.

-

"The women last night already paid for your accomodations Mister."

"The women?" Arthur echoes the bartender.

"Yes, three women, two white one black. I thought one of them was a lady of the night with how much she was showing."

"Karen..." He whispers to himself.

"They paid for two nights. The payment for last night was made before getting Miss over here upstairs." He looks at Abigail. "And the payment for tonight was made before they left. They even gave me extra to keep quiet about whatever I would hear from your room."

"Hear from our room?" Arthur squints.

"Thank you, but I think that's all we need to know." Abigail cuts the conversation short before he could wrap his head around the bartender's insinuation.

'I am going to kill those three.'

"Well, okay then. Thank you, I guess." Arthur tips his hat and feels a tap on his back.

"Mister Morgan!"

He turns to see Sally, too bright eyed for a woman who was as drunk as a horse the previous night.

"Miss Nash! I thought you'd be out of town by now."

"I thought so too, but the mayor loved our show so much that he requested us to stay another night."

Abigail awkwardly listens in on their conversation.

"Tell Margaret to get his act together unless he's planning on dying for good."

Abigail's face scrunches. 'He? Margaret is a he?'

"Oh, but that's the thing Mister Morgan! Mister Margaret has officially retired from animal wrangling." Sally's face goes sullen at the thought.

"Then what's gonna happen with the show?"

Her eyes light up even brighter than before. "I'm taking over!"

They didn't need much else to know that this was a hug-worthy moment.

Arthur fully encapsulates her in a hug and she's barely able to make a move in his arms, but in her mind she's hugging him back.

"That's my girl!" He lifts her off her feet and violently sways her. If this was a baby in his hands surely she would've gotten shaken baby syndrome.

He lets go, but leaves a hand on her shoulder. "You done good Sally. You done just fine."

Abigail can't help feeling happy for the two despite her feelings for Arthur. She rarely got to see him this excited, and she didn't want to take that away from him.

'Maybe he is the man for me... but maybe I'm not the woman for him.' She sighs unknowingly and steals their attention.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. The name's Sally Nash." She puts a hand out to Abigail and smiles ear to ear.

"I think you mean Sally Nash, the first bravest female animal wrangler." Arthur elbows her lightly and winks.

"Oh she don't need to know that."

Abigail looks at the woman in front of her, dumbfounded. 'No wonder he likes her so much. She's strong, kind, humble... I'll never compare.'

She grabs Sally's hand and shakes it firmly. With no malice or anger in her heart she says, "it's an honor to meet the first bravest female animal wrangler".

"Oh, please, I haven't done much yet. I'll take that title when I've earned it. What's your name if you don't mind me asking?"

"Abigail Roberts."

"Well Abigail Roberts, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Arthur clears his throat. "You sure you don't need me tonight? With Margaret retired, you won't have anyone else to help you if things go south."

She ponders on the offer.

"No, I think I can handle it... besides, you're always going to be with me from now on." She holds the whip by her waist and smiles at him.

He nods in agreement and his heart goes all tingley. "Always."


	9. Chapter 9

"Where's yours?" Abigails asks while patting her horse's neck.

"I left her at the stables. I can meet you back at camp if you wanna go ahead."

She thinks long and hard for any way she could possibly prolong this time alone with Arthur. "Or I could walk with you to the stables... We can come back for my horse once you've got yours." She mentally pats herself on the back for how smooth she is.

"You don't have to-"

"I know I don't have to Arthur. I want to." She's on a roll today!

"Heh, okay Abigail." He offers his arm and she's pleasantly surprised.

"I didn't know I was talking to a gentleman." She teases as she takes the offer.

They take the slow and scenic route to the stables. The amount of people has decreased greatly from the previous day, but it's still crowded enough to make you feel claustrophobic.

She takes a look at the man by her side and studies him intently. He's getting bigger, stronger. She smiles at the realization that Arthur's weight is back to normal.

"Morning... Howdy... Ma'am behind you."

They overtake an old woman and without taking his eyes off the way, he addresses Abigail.

"Don't stare too hard now. Ya might end up cutting potatoes for Pearson again."

She casually looks away trying to act nonchalant. "I wasn't staring."

"And I'm not an outlaw." He chuckles at his comeback. "What's wrong with me this time?"

"Nothing."

"Then what's with the starin?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Can't a woman admire the gentleman walking her through Saint Denis?"

He gives her a glance then looks back ahead. "Man? Sure. Gentle? I've killed cougars gentler than me."

She rolls her eyes. "Why can't you just take the compliment like a normal person?"

"It ain't true. That's why."

"Oh yeah, Arthur Morgan? Prove it then."

"Prove what?"

"That you're not a gentlem-"

Arthur pulls her into an alleyway and pushes her back into the wall. He slams a hand just beside her head and she lets out a weak gasp. Arthur looks at her hungrily as he moves milimeter by milimeter closer to her.

She presses herself into the wall as much as she can. "A-" is all she could muster.

"Miss Roberts", he says in a low husky voice.

She swallows to keep her throat from drying up. "Mister Morgan." Her voice unsure, and shaky.

And just like that his demeanor changes. He gives her a goofy smile and can't help himself from laughing out loud at the woman's expression.

Her mouth opens and her brows meet in the middle. "Why are you laughing?"

He burys his face into her shoulder in an attempt to stiffle his laughter.

"What?!" She pushes him off, pissed at the sudden turnaround.

"I'm just messin with ya... HAHAHAHAHA!" He continues laughing and wipes tears out of his eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" She crosses her arms and looks him straight in the eyes.

"Now hold on a minute, Abigail. You were the one who asked me to prove it."

"Prove what?"

He laughs again. She was so shocked by the events that she completely forgot about their previous conversation.

He stops laughing and presses his forearm on the wall beside her. The distance between them is much shorter now in comparison to just a few seconds ago. His face is an inch away from Abigail's.

"That I'm not a gentleman, Miss Roberts." He smirks and winks.

Abigail turns into a cherry red tomato and looks away immediately.

"You've proven your point. Can you please move away now?" She asks the big man like a little kid.

He lifts his arm off the wall and tries his darndest to contain his laughter for Abigail's sake.

"Haha, I get it. I'm an idiot." She says defeated.

He looks at his feet then back at the woman before him. He offers his arm again without any verbal cues, and is happy to see she's still willing to accept it.

This time they decide to stay silent and bask in the morning noise Saint Denis has to offer. Horses' hooves click and clack on the pavement. The sound of a band playing music livens the atmosphere. The bell from a tram rings endlessly.

"I'm sorry, I was just messin with ya."

She exhales audibly and replies, "you've got nothing to apologize for Arthur. I asked you to prove it, and well... you proved it, alright." Looking back at it, she laughs.

It's no secret that she used to be a lady of the night... hell she was a lady of the morning too when the occasion called for it, but even after all of that experience, Arthur has her flustered like a virgin without laying a single finger on her.

"Out of all of the men who've pinned me against a wall, I think you're my favorite, Arthur Morgan." She metally kicks herself for even allowing herself to say that. She isn't sure whether what she just said was a tease or a straight up statement, but she has a strong feeling she'll soon regret saying it.

He huffs amused. "Marston not the pinning type?"

And just like that she regrets it. She looks at her feet as they walk.

Arthur feels the awkward air about them and tries to shift the mood. "When Strauss is always askin you to beat the money out of poor bastards you get used to pinning people against a wall." He laughs softly. "You're lucky I went easy on ya."

It doesn't do much to make her feel better.

"John... He and I..." She shakes her head.

"I didn't know." He avoids her gaze. "Must be hard on you."

"Yeah, it is... I'm more worried about Jack though. I don't want him to grow up without a father. There's only so much I can do for him." The latter part of the sentence comes out as barely a whisper.

"He'll always have me", Arthur says so confidently and casually at the same time. "If there's one thing I learned from Dutch and Hosea, it's that being a father takes more than just blood. It takes heart, and dedication, and love." He looks at her as he says the final word.

She smiles at the gentleman and squeezes his arm.

After an eternity they finally arrive at the stables.

-

"You're back. I heard about the ruckus at the show last night. Heard you were quite the showman."

Abigail sighs. She remembers the pretty blonde and how happy she made Arthur. 'Why can't we be like that? Why'd it have to be John?'

"Heh, A showman? I think I'll leave that to the experts." He approaches the white horse and pats it on the neck. "Hey, girl. Floyd treat ya right?"

Darling neighs and stomps a hoof.

"Of course I took care of her. I'm too scared of her owner to do her wrong." The stable owner says refering to Arthur.

Arthur laughs.

"Are you buying?"

"Just the usual."

Floyd hands him bundles of hay and peppermints.

"Here you go girl." He feeds her a peppermint and pats her a few. He grabs the reins by one hand then leads her out of the stables.

"You're a good girl." He mounts the horse in one swift motion and holds out a hand to Abigail.

'He treats his horse better than John treats me.' She takes it and sits on the horse facing one side. Every inch of her being wants to hold Arthur tight, but a small but persistent part of her says it'll be an injustice to Sally.

Darling trots to the saloon and soon enough Abigail is on her own horse.


	10. Chapter 10

"Mama!" Jack runs into Abigails arms as she dismounts.

"Hey, Jack!" She wraps her arms around the boy tightly. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long."

"It's okay! Uncle Hosea and I read a lot of books while you were away. In one story..." He rambles away about all of the literary adventures he's taken in just two days and Abigail takes it all in.

"Really? What happened next?" She looks around for Hosea and sees him on that same log by the shore. She takes Jack's hand and they walk to Hosea while the little literary enthusiast continues.

"Abigail, did you enjoy the city?"

"Yes", she nods excitedly, ready to share her stories just like what her baby boy is doing.

"Jack, why don't you discuss the books we've read with one of your uncles?" The older man lays a hand on his back and urges him forward.

"Okay!" He runs to the nearest uncle he can spot, and Charles seems to be on the receiving end this time.

"You were saying dear?"

Abigail takes a seat. "There were so many people! And so much money!"

Hosea chuckles. "You're starting to sound like Dutch."

"There were people from all over the country, an-and even other countries. They were speaking different languages and..." She sighs. "You should see it for yourself Hosea. It's beautiful."

"Oh I've already been. I once rode to Saint Denis just to buy a book! And of course, con a few people here and there."

"Oh! I haven't told you the best part. I met a man, a Douglas, a something Douglas, I don't remember his name, but he had lotsa money and watches and jewellry. I cleaned him out and I didn't just pick pocket him, I acted like a lady! Just like you taught me."

He smiles dearly at Abigail. 'She's come a long way.' He nods during her pauses to let her know he's still listening and they spend the rest of the day catching up with one another.

Two days away from camp and there's already so much to unpack. She wonders how long it would take for them to catch up if she were gone for an entire week. Perhaps they'd have to tell each other stories for the same time period too.

The sun is already setting when they reach the best parts of Abigail's experiences in the city. She tells him of Arthur's feats and of the morning after, leaving out the part about getting drunk and waking up in the same room, of course. She tells him of the blonde circus woman and how happy Arthur was. She tells him of Arthur's antics and how he talks to his horse and so on.

Hosea notices the pattern and can't help feeling giddy despite his old age. "You seem to have really enjoyed yourself in Arthur's company."

"Oh, definitely!" She realizes how overly enthusiastic she said that. "I mean... definitely", she repeats, but this time in a more demure manner.

"My dear are you trying to con a conman? If so, it won't work."

She smiles sheepishly and tries to laugh it off, but her charms don't work on Hosea.

"I'm not in the position to say anything about your relationships Abigail." He lays a hand on her knee. "But, I think you're happiest when you're with him."

She didn't need to hear a name to know who the "him" Hosea was refering to is.

He pats her knee and stands up. "Take that as you will, but I am going to sleep." He stretches his back and shoulders. "Get some rest, Abigail. You've had quite the adventure." He leaves her to her thoughts.

She stares out into the lake and sees the crystal clear reflection of the full moon on the water.

"Hey, uh, Abigail?" Charles approaches her with Jack still going off about the exciting ending of one of Hosea's books.

She looks behind her and sees the man with a weary expression. "I'm sorry", she mouths silently as she takes Jack's hand.

He nods and heads for his tent.

"Hey Jack, why don't you tell me about the ending at the tent?"

"Okay, mama."

They walk there and Jack continues his retelling. She catches a glimpse of Arthur drawing something in his journal. Her feet slow down and her eyes stay on the pages.

"...then the cowboy saved the lady from the bad man."

She leans closer to get a good look at it.

"Then they left the town and lived in a ranch in the mountains."

She realizes what, or who, he was drawing.

"Then they lived happily ever after!"

Her face goes from expectant to disappointed.

"Uncle Hosea said it was Mary-beth's book that he forgot to give back, but he told me not to tell her." He giggles.

He's drawing Sally. She puts on a facade for her boy and ruffles his hair.

"I hope we get a happily ever after too, Jack."


	11. Chapter 11

"I already told you, he's not mine."

"He is, John!"

"How the hell would you know that? He could be Bill's or Javier's for all I know!"

"And so what if he is? I thought you said you loved me."

"Yeah, I said I loved YOU. I never said I'd love your son."

She slaps John hard enough to leave mark. "If you really loved me, you'd love my son too. You never shoulda came back."

"I didn't come back for you!"

And there it is, the truth.

She clenches her jaw and fists.

"I came back for Dutch, Hosea, the gang, but I didn't come back for you."

It took her entire being to stop herself from punching the man. She takes deep breaths to try and think through the problem, but there was no going back now.

"Do you still love me?"

He remains silent.

She scoffs. "Let me ask that again. Did you ever love me?"

"Of course Abby", he says sincerely. "I just... I didn't ask for a son."

"When did you stop?"

He stares at her. "Stop what?"

"Loving me."

The same silence takes over.

She nods, donning a disgusted look. "Even before Jack." She answers her own question.

He nods with his eyes on the ground.

"You're pathetic John Marston. I've met better men in the whorehouse than you."

-

She wakes up in a flurry of emotions. She feels her cheeks are wet and wipes them with her clothes. It's been a long time since she last dreamt about that. She didn't dream about it at all when they were at horseshoe overlook, but now...

She leaves her tent and sees it's still dark out. The camp is silent, except for snores, bugs, and the water. She walks to the shore and sees Arthur on the pierre, fishing. A brow of hers raises. What was he doing fishing so early?

She cautiously walks up to the man so as not to break his concentration, but ultimately fails at it.

Arthur cranes his neck and sees her approaching. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I was gonna ask you the same thing." She laughs softly.

"I couldn't sleep is all. Thought fishing could help clear my mind."

"Does it work?"

He looks at her again. "Does what work?"

"Fishing, does it clear your mind?"

He thinks on it. His eyes close and his lungs fill up with fresh air. He lets out a breath then opens his eyes and nods. "Works good enough."

"Mmm." She nods along with him.

He notices her eyes on the pole and takes it as sign. "You wanna try? Seems to me you wanna clear your mind."

"Oh, I don't know how to fish." She crosses her arms at the cold morning air.

Arthur puts the pole down and takes his hunting jacket off. He places it over her shoulders and says, "I can teach you."

She closes the jacket tighter around herself and feels an extra layer of warmth because of the gesture.

"I thought you weren't a gentleman, Mister Morgan."

"Be careful what you say Miss Roberts. There ain't no walls to pin you to round here. I might have to prove I'm not a gentleman the hard way." He laughs picking up the pole.

"And what's the hard way?" She bumps him with an arm.

"Oh you don't wanna know."

She giggles.

"So you wanna learn how to fish or learn about the hard way?"

"I wanna learn about the hard way." She wiggles her eyebrows then burst out laughing, but quickly contains herself when she remembers the gang is still asleep.

"Shut up." He shakes his head with a smile and replaces the lake lure with a piece of cheese. He hands her the rod and starts instructing her. "First step is to cast the line. Hold firm, don't wanna make the entire pole go flying into the water."

She holds it tightly and shifts her weight back along with the end of the rod. She whips it forward and casts a long line.

"Good, now you wanna reel it slightly to keep tension on the line. If the line is loose you won't be able to hook the fish."

She heeds his warning and reels it just enough to keep the line straight.

"When you feel something biting, don't pull on it right away. You have to wait for the fish to really bite into it then what you wanna do is pull fast and hard."

She starts to feel something and her expression changes from calm to completely focused. Her brows are knit together and her eyes stay on the end of the rod. Something strong suddenly tugs on the line. She pulls hard and starts reeling it in.

"If the fish is fighting back stop reelin, you'll break the line. Just pull the rod to the opposite direction of where the fish is pullin."

She stops reeling and fights the fish in a battle of tug of war. "Oh it's big", she predicts through gritted teeth. She starts reeling in and pulling the rod closer to her at any chance she gets. "Arthur, it's really big."

They both see the silhouette of the fish nearing second by second.

"It's close!" She puts her game face on and gets aggressive with the reeling.

He looks at Abigail and is amused to see her expression so determined and her nose all wrinkled. 'What a woman', he thinks to himself.

She pulls up one last time and the fish finally reveals itself. "That's it?"

They look at a blugill barely the size of a small hand and Arthur laughs loudly.

"Oh it's big alright."

She looks at him with a pout and he suppresses his laughter.

"You're pretty good, Abigail." He says still trying to contain himself.

"I'm never fishing again."

He grabs the line and unhooks the fish. "Alright time to go back to your mama." He throws the fish in and looks at Abigail. "Maybe I should have taught you the hard way instead." He chuckles.

She laughs along with him. Their eyes meet and they smile at one another.

"I had a bad dream."

This time, his brow raises. "What?"

"You asked me why I was up so early. I had a bad dream... about a conversation me and John had before blackwater happened."

He clears his throat not really knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No, Issokay. You don't need to say sorry." He nods. "You can talk to me anytime, Abigail."

Tears start to fall. She wipes one cheek and looks at the planks of wood they stand on. "John and I..." She begins to sob quietly.

Arthur wraps his arms around Abigail and rubs her back in small circles. "It's okay. I'm right here." He feels his shirt getting wet and hears her muffled apology. He sighs and lays his cheek on her head. "Don't say sorry." He hugs her tighter. "You don't have to say sorry for cryin."

She cries even harder at his kindness. God, why'd Arthur have to be so goddamn good to her? Why'd she have to fall so hard for that bastard John?

"I'm sorry the fishing didn't work. I thought it'd be enough to get your mind off things. Guess I was wrong."

She closes her eyes and takes deep inhales and exhales. She feels his chest rise and fall with every breath, and his heart beat steady but sure. "You don't have to say sorry, Arthur." She cherishes the feeling before finally pulling away.

"Hmm?" He unwraps her from his embrace.

"Maybe fishing wasn't able to clear my mind, but the gentleman who taught me how to fish sure did."

He huffs a laugh and looks at his boots. "You really wanna learn the hard way huh?"

"I told you the first time you asked." Her smile returns, although not matching with her puffy eyes.

"Heh, I'll show you another day. Get some rest Abigail, the sun's just bout to rise. You've still got plenty of time to sleep till mornin."

"Sure." She begins walking away and Arthur packs up his fishing pole. Before she could get too far though she's right back where she started.

He looks up from his satchel and feels her lips on his cheek.

"Thank you, Arthur... for everything." She walks away for real this time with his jacket still wrapped around her and leaves Arthur with his mouth wide open.

"Okay, Abigail."


	12. Chapter 12

Abigail wakes up with a smile on her face and immediately grabs the money she got from their time at Saint Denis. She walks to Arthur's tent and sees him figuring out what to wear. "Arthur." She takes his hand and places the money in it.

"What's this for?" He looks at her concerned.

"For everything."

"Everything?" He scratches his beard.

"For the canned fruits you bought me when I was pregnant, for the hospital bills you paid when I got sick, for the clothes you bought Jack when he was born, for all the baby food and bread rolls... for everything."

He just looks at her not really realizing how much he's done for the two. "I was just... doing my job, being a good uncle." He tries to give the money back but she pushes his hand away.

"Good uncles listen to their nephew's endless stories. Charles is a good uncle, but you..." She shakes her head and smiles. She looks him in the eyes and is at a lost for words. 'You're a good father' she thinks, but instead says, "you're a good man".

It's times like these that really make Arthur look like a big dumb cowboy. He's sort of just standing there confused with his mouth agape and eyes squinted. "I can't take this, Abigail." He tries one more time to give it back but she holds his hands in place.

"If you try to give it back one more time, I might have to teach you something the hard way." She smirks and winks trying to mimic his ways.

He thinks on it then gives back the money. "Maybe I wanna learn the hard way."

She giggles and slaps him on the arm. "Just take it, Arthur. Please."

His knees just about give out under him at the magic word that come out of her mouth. "Okay, Abigail."

"You can change now. I won't stare, I promise." She joins the other women in doing the early morning chores.

"Okay, Abigail."

-

"All that trouble in Saint Denis just to give all your money away to Arthur?" Karen sews one of Sean's work pants.

"It was his money right from the start." Abigail replies as she takes a knife to cut potatoes.

"That so? Does that mean you're finally admitting that you're sweet on him?" She stops to look at Abigail.

"No-" She let's out a sigh and smiles. "Maybe."

The girls squeal with excitement and howl like wolves.

"When's the wedding?" Mary beth grabs her arm a bit too violently.

"He doesn't... well... I-"

"You're moving too fast Mary beth. Does he even know you like him?" Tilly directs the question to Abigail.

"Well..." She looks around for Darling to make sure Arthur's already left the camp. "I kissed him."

"What?!" The girls exclaim in chorus.

"Just on the cheek!"

"Abigail Roberts!" Mary beth looks at her wide eyed.

"What did he do?" This time its Tilly's turn to grab her violently.

"He didn't do anything. He sorta just stood there."

"That sounds about right." Tilly laughs imagining her brother looking dumb after a kiss.

"But... I think he didn't do anything cause he's sweet on Sally."

"Sally?" Karen stands up from their tent. "The blondie from the bar?"

"Yeah." Abigail sets down the knife and looks at her. "When me and Mary beth went to the fence we saw him buying that lasso for her and when me and Arthur left the saloon the morning after we got drunk, she was there. They talked and Arthur... he was so happy. I've never seen him that happy before." She feels her heart become increasingly heavy.

"Are you sure? You know Arthur's a gentleman. He'd never lead you on if he was with that Sally."

"Yeah, he's not-"

"That kind of man." The three say in sync.

"Oh I don't know. I saw him drawing her in his journal that night. I don't know if I'm overthinkin it or if he really is sweet on her." She picks the knife back up and continues her chore.

"Then ask him!" Tilly says pointing a knife at her.

"And what if he says he is sweet on her?" She retaliates by pointing her knife at Tilly.

They go back to cutting before anyone can get hurt.

"Then, maybe he's not the man for you..." Karen whispers somberly.

They all stay quiet at that. The three steal glances, nervously looking at each other.

"But it's better know the truth ain't it?" Mary beth says to no one in particular.

Abigail cuts the potatoes weakly as she thinks about how to tell Arthur how she feels.


	13. Chapter 13

Arthur hitches his horse and grabs a can from his horse's satchel. Hearing her thank him for the canned fruit earlier in the day reminded him how much she loved canned strawberries when she was pregnant. He looks excitedly around camp and sees the woman he's looking for seated on a log by the shore.

"Abigail." He tips his hat and hands her the can.

Her heart softens along with her features. "Canned Strawberries?"

"I was forced to take a lot of money this mornin." He chuckles softly. "Thought I'd buy you something."

She looks at the item in her hand and holds it tight. "You still remember." Her eyes shift from the can to the man seated beside her.

"Well, I had to buy you a can every night or else you wouldn't sleep. Course I remember." He looks out into the water reminiscing the past.

"I was pretty stubborn when I had Jack huh?" She shakes her head.

"Oh, you're still stubborn. If anythin you're more stubborn when you're not pregnant." He teases her and receives a hit on the arm for it.

"Thank you, Arthur."

"Sure." He gets up but is stopped by a hand holding onto his wrist.

"Can I... Can we talk?"

"Sure." He sits back down and looks at her intently. "Is it bout John?"

She shakes her head slightly. "It's about you."

He clears his throat and looks away.

"Arthur." She contemplates whether she should ask about sally or just tell him how she feels. She places her hand on his and it's clear that he's shocked.

"Abigail?" His features soften. He smiles and gives her hand a squeez.

She doesn't know why or how, but she leans in and closes her eyes.

Arthur hesistates at first, but is too caught up in the moment to pull away. His eyes close and their lips meet.

There it is again. His heartbeat slows down. All of the aches and pains in his body dissipate. His shoulders relax and so does everything else. There are no butterflies. There is no passion or desperation. He just feels peace.

Abigail pulls away and feels lightheaded, but in a good way.

He huffs a laugh and smiles like an idiot as he shifts his gaze to the sunset.

She averts her eyes too and looks to the left. There she sees her girls across camp going crazy and silently shouting things at her. She laughs a little and sighs.

Arthur takes a big inhale and lets it out audibly.

They don't know where to go from there so they just enjoy each other's company by stealing glances and stiffled giggles.

Arthur lays his hand on hers and they both turn a noticeable bright red despite the sky now growing darker as night approaches.

She moves their hands from the log onto her lap as she moves closer to him and leans her head on his shoulder.

He looks at the woman by his side and smiles, but he quickly looks away when she turns to look at him.

They could've slept like this. They could've spent an eternity like this, but duty calls.

"Mama", Jack calls out trying to find Abigail.

She lingers a little longer but eventually stands up. Their hands hold on as she walks away until they have to let go.

"Jack, mama's right here." She picks the boy up into a hug and they giggle away.

Arthur smiles at the sight, but something catches his eye. He grabs the can of strawberries left on the far end of the log and he makes his way to their tent.

"You're the man Arthur!" Karen heckles him as he passes by.

"That's my brother!" Tilly joins in.

He gives them the side eye then laughs at their antics. "Shut up."

Abigail looks up from where she's seated. "Arthur." She stands up and they're all smiles.

"You left this." He hands her the can and she takes it from him, her hand not wanting to let go. "You, uh.. left something else."

"What?"

"This." He places a hand on her waist and kisses her with a lot more purpose than last time.

She giggles against his lips and places a hand on his chest.

"Uncle Arthur?" Jack questions the sight before him.

Arthur lets go of the boy's mama and lifts him up. "Jack, you handsome boy!" He swings the boy around then places him over one shoulder.

Jack laughs as Arthur tickles him.

"Have I taught you how to hunt, Jack?"

"Not yet. Will you teach me how uncle Arthur?"

"I'll teach you right now!" He runs to his horse and carefully places Jack on the front of the saddle. He mounts the horse and looks to Abigail for approval.

She smiles and nods.

He smiles back brighter than before. "Hold tight Jack!"

Her boys ride off into the night and for the first time in a long time there is no pain in her heart.

'What am I going to do with you Arthur Morgan?'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're reading this you either skipped to the last chapter OR you actually read through this whole thing! If you did the former, it's alright partner you do you. If you did the latter, DAMN PARTNER YOU GOT THROUGH THAT?! Thank you lots for the support yall! I'd really appreciate your critisicm so don't hesitate to call me out in the comments for whatever reason. I personally think I'm way better at oneshots so yeah, call me out for bad writing!


End file.
